On April 28, 2010, The Australian Women’s Weekly Magazine reported that former Catholic Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, when he was a child, was sexually abused by a stranger. To this day, at age 72, Bishop Robinson is filled with terror when a person approaches him from behind. In The Weekly Magazine interview, the retired Bishop stated, “Sixty years disappear in a split second. In that sense, the memory never goes away.”
Sexually Abused by a Stranger
When Bishop Robinson was in his early teen years he was sexually attacked by a stranger. He says, “I’m still quite confused about it,” and he is aware that his case is rare because most children are abused by a relative or trusted individual. He says a middle-aged man came at him from behind and grabbed him on the shoulders before he was assaulted, not a paedophile priest. Bishop Geoffrey Robinson did with the memory what too many victims do, “I put it in the attic of my mind.”
Speaking Out Against the Vatican
Many years ago Bishop Robinson was appointed to lead the Catholic Church’s response to sexual abuse allegations by priests and paedophile priests. His experiences while fulfilling this position left him disillusioned.
In his interview with The Weekly he spoke out about his doubt over some of the Catholic Church’s teachings and his internal struggle. He said that his belief in God became strengthened as his faith in the church as an institution was diminishing. It was a journey that gave him the courage after so many decades, to speak out against the Vatican.
In 2007, Columba Press published Bishop Robinson’s book Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus. His book sent shockwaves throughout the church. He calls on the Vatican to rethink centuries-old beliefs on women, sexuality and marriage. One of Bishop Robinson’s arguments is that obligatory celibacy is one of the reasons why child sexual abuse has become a crisis within the Catholic Church.
Shortly after the book was published, he was removed as bishop and reprimanded by Rome. Bishop Robinson has no regrets because “I want to change things.”
Mostly Boys Are Sexually Abused by Priests
The former Bishop of Sydney says that boys are suffering more than girls at the hands of priests who sexually abuse. This is partly due to a larger number of boys who interact more with priests than girls.
On April 15, 2010, a Newsweek Magazine story reports that according to researchers at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, between 1950 and 2002 there were 246 girls (under eight years of age) who were sexually abused by priests (which represent 14% of all female victims). The same research indicates that 236 boys under eight years of age were sexually assaulted by priests which represent only 3% of all male victims.
Bishop Robinson is Respected
In his years as Sydney’s auxiliary bishop, Bishop Robinson’s devotion to victims was highly respected by numerous people. His supporters acknowledge his courage to speak out and they admire his integrity.
Bishop Robinson believes had women been given greater importance and a larger voice in the Catholic Church, they would not be experiencing the epidemic of child sexual abuse in the church. The former bishop also believes that until the church holds a conference including all bishops to revise the old doctrine, this issue will not be resolved.
Additional Reading:
Church Sex Scandals Are not just a Catholic Crisis
Sources:
The Australian Women’s Weekly, Celibacy, abuse and keeping the faith (accessed April 29, 2010)
Newsweek Magazine, What about the Girls? (accessed April 29, 2010)
Karen Stephenson - Karen has written for several newspapers and print media in addition to many online publications. She holds a B.A. in English and an ...
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